[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS84 KLIX 291556
HLSLIX
LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-291600-

HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1052 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...KATRINA BATTERS NEW ORLEANS...SOME LEVEES TOPPED...EXTENSIVE
DAMAGE IS OCCURRING...

...KATRINA MAKING SECOND LANDFALL ON MISSISSIPPI COAST....PRODUCING
EXTREME DAMAGE...

...HURRICANE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND COASTAL
MISSISSIPPI FROM MORGAN CITY EAST TO THE ALABAMA FLORIDA BORDER....

...EXTENSIVE AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE FLOODING OCCURRING
ALONG THE LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI COASTS AT THIS TIME...INCLUDING
THE NEW ORLEANS AREA...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...THE FOLLOWING PARISHES

ASSUMPTION...ST JAMES...ST JOHN THE BAPTIST...ST CHARLES...
ST BERNARD...TERREBONNE...ORLEANS...JEFFERSON...PLAQUEMINE...
LAFOURCHE...ST TAMMANY...TANGIPAHOA...LIVINGSTON.

IN COASTAL MISSISSIPPI...THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
HANCOCK...HARRISON...JACKSON

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF MORGAN CITY EAST TO THE
ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER AREA. THIS INCLUDES THE METRO NEW ORLEANS
AREA...AND THE MISSISSIPPI COAST.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR AREAS AWAY FROM THE
COAST.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AN
EXTREME SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT.

TORNADO WATCHES IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTH
MISSISSIPPI.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AROUND 1030 AM CDT...THE EYE OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS CENTERED OVER
HANCOCK COUNTY MISSISSIPPI AND ST. TAMMANY PARISH LOUISIANA...AND
WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AROUND 17 MPH.  THIS MOTION WILL
CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HURRICANE KATRINA IS NOW A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR
SIMPSON SCALE...AFTER STRIKING THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST NEAR
GRAND ISLE AS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE EARLIER THIS MORNING.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
WITH THE ONSET OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND HEAVY SQUALLS...PEOPLE
SHOULD REMAIN IN LAST RESORT REFUGES IN STRONG...WELL CONSTRUCTED
BUILDINGS. IF LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE FLOODING DEVELOPS...MOVE
TO HIGHER FLOORS OR HOUSE ATTICS. BRING TOOLS TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY
EXIT SHOULD THESE HIGHER FLOORS OR ATTICS BECOME INUNDATED.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
KATRINA IS MAKING A SECOND LANDFALL ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI-LOUISIANA
BORDER NORTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS...GENERALLY OVER HANCOCK COUNTY
MISSISSIPPI AND ST. TAMMANY PARISH LOUISIANA.

A SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE ESTIMATED AROUND 20
FEET HAS OCCURRED WITH KATRINA...CAUSING LEVEES TO BE OVERTOPPED IN
ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD PARISHES. IN ADDITION DANGEROUS BATTERING
WAVES ARE OCCURRING ON TOP OF THE STORM SURGE NEAR THE COAST. SEVERE
TIDAL FLOODING WILL CONTINUE IN THESE AREAS FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS.
SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS ALSO OCCURRING ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI GULF
COAST OVER HANCOCK...HARRISON AND JACKSON COUNTIES.  EXTENSIVE
DAMAGE DUE TO THE WIND AND STORM SURGE IS OCCURRING ALONG THE
MISSISSIPPI COAST.

IN ADDITION...A STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 12 FEET HAS OCCURRED IN THE
SOUTHWEST PART OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AFFECTING THE EAST BANKS OF
JEFFERSON...ST CHARLES...ST JOHN THE BAPTIST AND LIVINGSTON PARISHES.


...WIND IMPACTS...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE OCCURRING OVER SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
COASTAL MISSISSIPPI...WITH WINDS OVER 100 MPH STILL OCCURRING NEAR
THE COAST. POWER OUTAGES ARE OCCURRING...AND WILL BECOME MORE
WIDESPREAD DURING THE REST OF THE MORNING.  HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
WILL PERSIST OVER MUCH OF THE REGION THROUGH EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON.

WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG CATEGORY 3 HURRICANES CAN TOTALLY
DESTROY MOBILE HOMES AND POORLY CONSTRUCTED DWELLINGS...AND CAUSE
MAJOR DAMAGE TO EVEN WELL CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS. HIGHER WIND SPEEDS
WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER ON UPPER FLOORS OF TALL BUILDINGS
CAUSING DAMAGE.

...TORNADOES...
A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
AND COASTAL MISSISSIPPI DUE TO THE THREAT OF TORNADOES.

...RAINFALL...
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF
15 INCHES...ARE POSSIBLE.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 130 PM CDT.

$$


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